Overnight Oats: Breakfast Recipe Template

Overnight oats are an easy, affordable, versatile choice for a meal prepped breakfast. It takes minimum effort and time ahead of time, and can be heated quickly in the morning. It can be made with as few or as many ingredients as you’d like. For people who don’t like to eat the same thing every day, switching around the topping can make this feel like a different breakfast every day of the week!

The basic recipe is as follows, for one serving:

• ½ cup rolled oats (old fashioned or quick cooking)
• ½ cup milk of choice (I prefer unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

Really that’s it – mix that together and let it sit overnight. Some people will eat it cold, but it’s much better if you heat it for 1 min 15 sec – 1 min 30 sec, depending on the strength of your microwave. 

From there, the add-ins are up to you. I suggest a mix of the following:

• A sweetener: maple syrup, honey, white or brown sugar, etc.
• A fruit: chopped up bananas, apples, peaches, berries, or any combination of your favorite fruit
• A crunch (optional, for texture – add in the next morning): seeds, chopped nuts, granola, trail mix, mini chocolate chips, etc.

I also like to add in some extra protein so this breakfast fills me up and sticks with me until lunch. This can come in the form of chia seeds, nut butter of choice, Greek yogurt or a protein powder.

Overnight oats is the perfect example of striking a balance between flavor and effort, and the following combinations have served me well for a breakfast I can prep 3-4 days at a time in just a few minutes while other things are going on in my kitchen. I often like to pick one flavor variation to prepare on Sunday before the week, for Monday through Wednesday, and then Wednesday evening switch up the flavor combo for Thursday and Friday breakfast. The combinations are endless – anything can be substituted based on what you like or ingredients you already have at home!

Customize the flavor of your oats the way you like them!

Before we dig in, a quick note about the seasonings and sweeteners: if you are not used to eating plain oatmeal, you are going to want to be pretty heavy handed on your seasonings, such as cinnamon or nutmeg, as well as whatever you use to sweeten the oats. Otherwise you will be disappointed in the lack of flavor in the morning. One of the reasons I love making overnight oats instead of simply mixing a packet of oatmeal with boiling water is just that – I can control the amount of sugar that goes into my breakfast. 

Another last note – I prefer overnight oats when I add a ½ – 1 tablespoon of chia seeds to the mixture. There is something about the way they help absorb the milk, add a slight texture to the mushy oats, with just an ever so subtle taste – I truly do prefer any of these recipes with chia seeds than without. So I’ll add them in as an optional ingredient. You won’t be disappointed – they are a great addition for the taste as well as the added protein and fiber.

Apple peanut butter overnight oats

• ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional
• ½ apple, diced small
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (as much as you prefer!)
• 2 tablespoons creamy or crunchy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon honey

Peach pie overnight oats

•  ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional
• ½ fresh peach, diced (or ⅓ can peaches or handful frozen peach slices)
• Lots of cinnamon and/or nutmeg (1-2 teaspoons)
• Chopped walnuts or pecans, (optional, add in the morning)
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or brown sugar

Banana peanut butter overnight oats

• ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional
• 1 banana, sliced (optional: mash ½ the banana into the oats, slice the other half)
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon honey

Peanut butter crunch overnight oats

• ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons trail mix or mixed nuts

Berry medley overnight oats

• ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional
• Handful of mixed berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons seeds like sunflower or pumpkin